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February, March AERC International News






FEBRUARY/MARCH 1999 AERC INTERNATIONAL NEWS
by: Lori Stewart

The Endurance World Championships are one of those "larger than life" experiences that takes some time to process and settle peacefully into memory.  So as not to overwhelm this year's United States riders, I asked them to share with us just one "snap shot" memory of their World Championship experience.  Valerie is on vacation in Africa, so was not available.  

Danielle graciously declined my invitation.  I can well imagine this past year was a roller coaster of experiences for her that would leave  even the toughest a little dizzy.  Danielle, from the moment she boarded the plane with Nancy Elliot to escort the horses to the UAE until a full month later when she traveled with the horses back to the USA, was a team player par excellence!  We are all so sad her ride did not go as planned. I must say Danielle remains undefeated as THE American able to get the absolute best deals in the Dubai Gold Souk!  Being the great team player that she is, she negotiated some really good deals for her teammates too.  Danielle, we all owe you a very special thanks.

Shirley Delsart and Dusty 

   I have so many wonderful and special memories of our one-month trip of a lifetime to the World Endurance Championship in the United Arab
Emirates last year. It is always an honor and a responsibility to be selected to ride for the United States. To be supported by so many sponsors,volunteers,friends and family who are willing to take time and money out of their busy lives and schedules to support seven American riders and horses is very moving. And to think that my horse really went to "the ends of the earth" with me and gave his all once again. I can never give my horse enough in return for all he has given to me. International competition is a very emotional experience for everyone involved.
        One small experience that I would like to share with you occurred towards the beginning of the race. The start was at 5:45AM before dawn.
     I was very impressed with the start. It was very sane and conservative with the horses doing a good steady trot and no wild galloping as we feared might happen. As we were trotting along through the desert, I looked up at the beautiful star-filled heavens just as a beautiful shooting star streaked across the sky. A few minutes later I found myself riding next to Sheik Mohammed. I said good morning to him and asked if he had seen the beautiful shooting star at the start of the race. He replied, "Shooting star?"  "Yes", I said. "Did you see the beautiful falling star?" He replied, "Falling star?" I sensed that perhaps he was unsure of the meaning of shooting or falling star. He then dropped back a little bit.
     Not long after, he rode up next to me again and said, "Yes, it was a very beautiful shooting star." Sheik Mohammed then motioned to the Eastern sky and commented on how beautiful the sunrise was. I agreed and we rode on together. I thought how nice it was to share this moment with someone who has a mutual appreciation of nature.

Ona Lawrence and RC

My Horse, RAA Crusader (RC), has always had a phobia about Llamas, so naturally I assumed this would extend to camels.  I was not especially looking forward to that first inevitable meeting.  Sure enough, there we were by ourselves on the training trail one morning... As we approached the camel track along came a herd (pod, flock, covey, bunch?) of camels... RC did not even acknowledge them.  Wow...what a brave pony I thought.  The camels moved on, we started across the track when the camels, as one, turned around and started back towards us.  Oh-oh... a camel stampede and we were in the wrong spot.  Again, RC did not even flip an ear their way, just trotted on with single minded purpose.  As I was congratulating him on his amazing bravery, I noticed the white speck in the distance and it became abundantly clear; my brave charger was so focused on his buddy (Shirley and Dusty)coming towards us in the distance, he hadn't really noticed the camels.  The next camel crossing was not as peaceful!

Wendy Merendeni and Flikka

It is common strategy at these rides for countries to send out "rabbits" to entice other riders to override their horses.  There was a section early on the first loop that is called the "Camel Track".  This area is very wide and I think it is 25 kilometers long.  Flikka and I were leading the ride by about 200 yards at that point.  We were just rolling along enjoying the sunrise when all of the sudden a UAE rider goes past us at about mach 2 - ZZOOOMM.  Flikka kind of bounced forward, I squeezed my right rein and said "No, do not think so Girlie!"  Flikka settled back into her rolling canter, when back comes the UAE rider - ZZOOOOMMM.  Then the he does about three big
mach 2 speed circles around Flikka and me.  I can just feel Flikka thinking "What is with this bozo?"  The rider made a few more high speed passes, but finally gave up when he discovered he could not mess up my pace or upset Flikka.  


Patti Pizzo and Sam

  Sam and I looked at the ground together and decided to try and find our rainbow.  It seemed so far, but it is best to start at the beginning, and all you do is follow the yellow brick road even if it is 100 miles long. 
  How do you start for the Emerald City?   The journey begins in Gladstone NJ USET Headquarters. Whirl from everyday life like a tornado in a jet plane to the mystic land of UAE. 
  That dark night as we unloaded our horses I whispered to Sammie, "I have a feeling we're not in Pennsylvania anymore.  Let me tell you I was shocked when Sam said  " I cannot talk; I don't have a brain"  .    Quickly I replied, "How did you just talk IF you don't have a brain?"      We looked at each other, shrugged and walked into the stables with our new friends. 
  Everyone was there, and more arrived daily. Professor Marvel, The Wizard, Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man (Sammie), Miss Almira  (NO wicked witches from the West), Glinda the good Witch, Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. Everyone, a huge cast. 
  I couldn't begin to describe the scary things in our path. I couldn't even begin to list the wonderful people who helped me along the yellow brick road. There was one particular song that I kept singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".  You can adjust your singing to your horses pace.   Try it on your next ride. 
  For now , my hearts desire is in my own backyard .  "Oh Auntie Em,  there is no place like home".


Darla Westlake and RamsZ

One of the coolest things about going to the WEC was flying on the plane with the horses.  When we got on the plane in LA the horses had not arrived to be loaded.  All of the passengers were on the plane and the West coast riders were saying where are the horses?  We can't leave without the horses!  Then the wonderful flight attendants showed us that we could look out the windows and see the truck bring the horse crates and load them onto the plane!!!!  It was really great.   I remember RamsZ's crate  being loaded.  The flap on the front was up so we could see in.  Mike Foss was holding RC and RamsZ's lead ropes.  The crate had to go from the truck to the lift and then be turned 180 degrees.  As it was spinning we saw the horses and Mike go by.  Mike's eyes were as big as the horses!   The horses' eyes were pretty big.

All went fine and we were able to go back and visit the horses, give them water, hay, carrots; the flight attendants even gave us apples to feed them!  The only way the other  passengers could guess that there were horses on the plane was when going to the restroom and seeing hay all over .  It was a fantastic start to our wonderful adventure.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DATE CHANGE:The 1999 Pan Am Endurance Championships have been moved to August 7, 1999 (from July 24th).  The ride will still be in conjunction with the Pan American Games as the Games are from July 24th - August 9th, 1999.  Everything else remains as originally planned.  Sorry for any inconvenience.  Myna Cryderman, President of the Organizing Committee.

1998 AHSA HORSEMAN OF THE YEAR: 1998 World Endurance Champion, Valarie Kanavy received the American Horse Shows Association's Horseman of the Year Award!!  CONGRATULATIONS!  This is only the second time an endurance rider has received this prestigious award.  Becky Hart was the first recipient in 1990 after winning her second World Endurance Championship at the World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden.

EAST ZONE ANNOUNCES ITS LONG LIST: Eighteen talented horse/rider teams have been named to our long list from an impressive field of 26 nominees.  It was a hard decision for our selectors, Dwayne Barnett, Sue Greenall, Richard Maxwell, Nancy Senn, and Doug Lietzke, Selector's Chairman.  We thank everyone who nominated!  Long Listed Horse/Rider Teams are: Leslie Anderson/Raxxmatraz, Cynthia Bell/Wameco, Julie Bullock/Tashi Ashara, Joylen Carlson/Somethingsostrong, Linda Crandell/LR Forgemym, Kim Orr Franklin/USA Top Star, Debbie Gordon/Saizahra, Heather Hoynes/Geym's Tinkerbell, Wendy Mattingly/Baskin Bacardi, Lois McAfee/K Tiki Streak, Patti Pizzo/Savaq, Margaret Price/Ramegwa Sharli, Dana Reeder/Wyle-A-Way Iris, Stephen Rojek/Hawk, Rita Swift/Cass, Amanda Taylor/VP Bojtok, Constance Walker/DML Smoke Silver, and Lana Wright/LL Stardom.

Help the team and buy lots of raffle tickets by contacting Patti Pizzo, ETZ representative.  This year's prices are groups of ride entries to your favorite rides.  Also, the USA East Benefit 50 mile ride is May 2 in Atison, NJ.  For raffle tickets and/or a ride entry, please contact Patti at 215-343-4928 or email: PATTISAM@aol.com.

PACIFIC SOUTH ANNOUNCES THEIR LONG LIST-
Long listed riders for Pacific South USA are as follows: Andrea Bianchi/Robin Hood, Gary Ceragioli/Desert Roses Raz,B. Jane Cloud/Ezer's Cloud, Teresa Cross/Berryessa, Jack Enderle/FAD Silver
Anita Fiondella/CF Precarious, Judy Houle/Felex, Wendy Merendini/Fire Mt. Flikka, Linda Morelli/Kismet's Kokomo, Judith Ogus/Fames Excitement+, Lori Oleson/Kassiq, Brian Reeves/R. B. Royal Brand
Valorie Weizer/Copper

PACIFIC NORTH ANNOUNCES THEIR MANAGEMENT TEAM- Pacific North has most of its personnel in place:

           Chef d'equipe:    Wendy Rude

            Selector's Chair:    Ellen Betker
        
             Selectors:            Terry Benedetti
                     		      Karen Vilander
		                  Sharon Westergard
			      Jo Calver-O'Brien

CORRECTION: In the January '99 EN coverage of the World Endurance Championships, Ona Lawrence's RC Crusader was eliminated for lameness not metabolic problems (as reported).  In fact, RC consistently recovered the fasted of any of the American horses. His lameness was short lived and caused by a bruised heel.

PLEASE BECOME A MEMBER OF THE USET FAMILY OF SPORTS!- The USET's supplemental funding was instrumental to the 1998 USA Endurance Team's success.  Please make 1999 the year YOU join the USET. Member already?  Bring a Friend!!










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